Favourite Vegan and Animal-Friendly, Cruelty-Free Products

All my life I have cared about animals and the environment, from adopting rescue dogs to turning off the tap when I brush my teeth. Little changes can make a big impact, especially if more people are becoming aware of this. But when I started learning more about veganism, mostly through documentaries and YouTube, I came to the realisation that we use so many animal (by)products in our daily product consumption. AND most cosmetics brands are still testing on animals! Meaning most of the make-up I was using wasn’t even cruelty free. This took me by surprise, because I just blindly assumed that companies comply with the cosmetics testing ban in Europe and Australia. In fact they do, but at the same time they are selling products in another market that ARE being tested on animals.

I am talking about all kinds of everyday products like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, make-up and household cleaners from brands like:

Ambi-Pur

Braun

Clinique

Dove

Durex

Estee Lauder

Finish

Head & Shoulders

Herbal Essences

Lancome

L’Oreal

MAC

Max Factor

Maybelline

Oral B

Palmolive

Rimmel

Tampax

Vanish

Vasaline

Venus

Bet that caught you by surprise too! Not only do (some of) these brands test on animals, but they contain animal ingredients like glycerin (animal fat) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein in all animals). You can look up a full list of non-vegan, animal testing brands in your country by just Googling it.

I am not suggesting you should just toss all the products you are using in the bin. But if you want help, start making gradual changes, like I did. You can contribute to a cruelty-free world by switching (some) daily products you are using. Next time you need to buy new shampoo, laundry liquid, toothpaste or make-up, try looking for a cruelty free and/or vegan logo.

These are the certified national and international vegan and cruelty-free symbols:

Another tip is when you shop online there’s the option to apply a vegan or cruelty-free filter.

Personally, it makes me feel better knowing the products I use aren’t tested on or made from animals, but these products also contribute to a chemical-free body, glowing skin and healthy hair.

The scrub that I use is a coffee scrub which is fabulous for acne and cellulite. If you’d like to know more on how you can use coffee scrubs for cellulite, then make sure to check out this post on positivehealthwellness.com.

What are some of your favourite products?

*I realise most of these products are Australian made and might only be available in Australia, but some of them do ship worldwide. To find any vegan and/or cruelty-free products available in your area, simply apply the filter while your shopping online, Google the products or visit your local health stores.